f Commons. Brookes' was
then the rallying point or rendezvous of the Opposition, where Faro,
Whist, and supper prolonged the night, the principal members of the
minority in both Houses met, in order to compare their information, or
to concert and mature their parliamentary measures. Great sums were then
borrowed of Jews at exorbitant premiums.

His brother Stephen was enormously fat; George Selwyn said he was in the
right to deal with Shylocks, as he could give them pounds of flesh.

Walpole, in 1781, walking up St James's Street, saw a cart at Fox's
door, with copper and an old chest of drawers, loading. His success at
Faro had awakened a host of creditors; but, unless his bank had
swelled to the size of the Bank of England, it could not have yielded
a half-penny apiece for each. Epsom too had been unpropitious; and one
creditor had actually seized and carried off Fox's goods, which did not
seem worth removing. Yet, shortly after this, whom should Walpole find
sauntering by his own door but Fox, who came up and talked to him at the
coach window, on the Marriage Bill, with as much _sang-froid_ as if he
knew nothing of what had happened. Doubtless this indifference was to be
attributed quite as much to the callousness of the reckless gambler as
to anything that might be called 'philosophy.'

It seems clear that the ruling passion of Fox was partly owing to the
lax training of his father, who, by his lavish allowances, not only
fostered his propensity to play, but had also been accustomed to give
him, when a mere boy, money to amuse himself at the gaming table.
According to Chesterfield, the first Lord Holland 'had no fixed
principles in religion or morality,' and he censures him to his son for
being 'too unwary in ridiculing and exposing them.' He gave full swing
to Charles in his youth. 'Let nothing be done,' said his lordship, 'to
break his spirit, the world will do that for him.' At his death, in
1774, he left him L154,000 to pay his debts; it was all 'bespoke,' and
Fox soon became as deeply pledged as before.(126)

(126) Timbs, ubi supra. There is a mistake in the anecdote respecting
Fox's duel with Mr Adam (not Adams), as related by Mr Timbs in his
amusing book of the Clubs. The challenge was in consequence of some
words uttered by Fox in parliament, and not on account of some remark
on Government powder, to which Fox wittily alluded, after the duel,
saying--'Egad, Adam, you would have killed me if it had not b